The Slytherin And The Slumber Party
by Lee Velviet
Summary: Draco, plus a Gryffindor Slumber Party, plus revealing, shocking secrets, Ginny Weasley, and a panty 'raid' = What else? Blackmail! ^-^ 'R' is for 'possible' language and situations.EPILOGUE ADDED! *COMPLETE*
1. Default Chapter

The Slytherin And The Slumber Party  
  
Author: Lee Velviet  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing! Blame it all on J.K. Rowling, etc. etc. etc. She owns it. Those other guys too. Well, don't blame my evil, pointless plot on her, anyway. The rest is hers.  
  
Summary: In possession of Harry's Invisibility cloak, Draco crashes a Gryffindor Girls' Slumber Party, discovers what the girls of Hogwarts really think of him, finds out much more about feminine hygiene than he ever wanted to know, and during fateful game of truth or dare, discovers that a certain redhead has had a secret crush on him for years…blackmail, a panty raid and threats of bloody death ensue.  
  
'R' for possible language and situations, and yes, I know I have a ton of others still in the works-they are going to be updated A.S.A.P. This one was one I just worked on in bits and pieces as a kind of break from the others.  
  
(A/N: Just so you guys know, this story is going to be posted in two large parts. Here's Part One! I really hope you like it! Tell me if I make any major mistakes-PLEASE! Comments and advice are appreciated! ^-^ ~Lee)  
  
  
  
Part 1. Surprise!  
  
  
  
Draco found the cloak draped over a chair arm in the library late one night.  
  
Overcome with curiosity, because it was so unusual looking, he picked it up, throwing it over one arm to get a better look at it-and watched his arm promptly disappear with a mixture of surprise and excitement.  
  
He grinned and pulled the cloak over himself entirely. His suspicions had been correct-it was indeed a very rare Invisibility cloak-most probably Potter's.  
  
Draco berated the boy for treating the thing so shabbily, and decided to hang onto it-just for a little while. It'd make Potter positively ill to know he'd lost it. The speccy git would run in circles trying to find it, and he'd get to watch him torture himself.  
  
Just as he turned to walk off, Potter and Weasley came running around a corner of the bookcases, looking wild eyed and out of breath.  
  
Draco held his own, and kept perfectly still. He didn't want to get caught before the game had even begun.  
  
He gleefully watched Potter's face turn white as they reached the chair where the cloak had been.  
  
"Oh, bloody hell, Ron; it's gone," the dark haired boy groaned miserably, and sat down in the chair to pound his head against the table.  
  
"Don't panic, Harry," Weasley gasped, still out of breath and looking on the verge of panicking himself. "Are you sure you left it in here?"  
  
"Yes." Potter looked up, his eyes wide. "Who do you think took it?"  
  
"I don't know-but we have to find it!"  
  
"That was my Father's cloak," Potter groaned again. "How could I have forgotten it? Seven years I've had that thing, and now it's gone! What would my Father say?"  
  
Draco had to bite his lip to keep from laughing-Potty actually looked on the verge of crying! He couldn't have planned it better!  
  
"I'm sorry, Harry." Weasley patted his friend's shoulder awkwardly.  
  
Draco was near choking on his laughter by this point. He hadn't been this amused since the time Potter had realized his precious Hagrid had been replaced as the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Too bad it hadn't lasted- not a year later Draco had been bitten again-this time by a bloody ill tempered Malaclaw. He'd had a run of such bad luck after that, that he'd had to leave school for an entire two months and hole up in his rooms back at his family home, for fear of his life! He had sincerely begun to believe Dumbledore had it in for him by allowing Hagrid to keep such dangerous creatures-he seemed to be one of the only students that continually got hurt.  
  
Of course it never occurred to him that it might be because he had absolutely no respect for any living thing…  
  
"You do realize what this means, don't you Harry?" Weasley was looking at him with a lost expression on his freckled face.  
  
Potter looked up from the desk miserably, his incredibly dorky looking specs askew. "It means that not only have I lost one of the only things I had left of my parents…but we're also going to miss the Slumber party."  
  
Weasley shook his head sadly. "When Fate kicks you, Harry Potter, it kicks you right in the bloody pills..."  
  
The dark-haired boy made a disgusted noise.  
  
"Just think, all those girls, not a fifty feet away from us…" Weasley sighed again, sounding sickeningly forlorn.  
  
Draco's ears perked up after a moment. Slumber party? Did he mean slumber party, as in scantily clad teenage girls? Slumber party as in scantily clad teenage girls in pillow fights, robe less and braless?  
  
He grinned so wide it actually hurt. Now all he had to do was wait for the prats to return to their dorms so he could follow them and get an eyeful of Gryffindor females. He wouldn't be able to brag about it, of course, because he'd get caught-but what could they prove anyway; right?  
  
Draco turned right around and followed the two down trodden boys as they headed for the exit. There was no way he was missing out on this- Potter could have his bloody cloak back in the morning!  
  
  
  
Ginny fell onto a load of feather pillows on the floor in the Gryffindor common room that Professor McGonagall had conjured up.  
  
Several sixth and seven-year Gryffindor girls meandered about, lounging on huge cushions or pillows, talking or eating snacks that had been brought up from the kitchens.  
  
It wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. She wished McGonagall would go up to bed so they could actually have fun. It was hard to do anything comfortably with the eagle-eyed teacher standing about. It was still early enough, she supposed.  
  
When Parvati and Lavender had approached her about coming to a sleepover in the common room a few days earlier, she had been excited-the girls had gotten special permission, and they didn't have to worry about the boys-McGonagall had threatened them with expulsion if they dared show their faces at any time during the night. In return, the boys had been promised an evening of their own in the near future-but Ginny didn't think the boys would care to have a slumber party…she giggled at the thought of Harry and Ron painting each others toenails.  
  
"Ginny-come over here!"  
  
She looked up as Hermione called her over across the room where she sat on the window seat with a large book propped across her lap.  
  
"Hermione, what are you doing? It's a slumber party-you're not supposed to study!"  
  
Hermione sighed and closed her book with a snap. "I'm really not feeling terribly comfortable with all this-I mean, look at Parvati and Lavender-they're practically running around in their knickers."  
  
Ginny looked at Lavender's lilac colored satin sleep shorts and the matching sleeveless top that barely covered her midriff. Parvati had a similar sleep set on, only in forest green. She glanced down at Hermione's tightly tied green plaid robe and sighed.  
  
"You need to loosen up, Granger!" Saying this, she tugged Hermione up and pulled the robe off, revealing her long, pale blue nightgown. It had a beribboned neck, and soft ruffles at the hem and wrists. "That's better."  
  
Hermione put her hand to her throat, plucking at the ribbons nervously.  
  
"Hey, don't feel bad-I'm not exactly dressed like a sex kitten either," Ginny looked pointedly down at her old washed out red t-shirt, a cast-off from Ron. The hem fell just above her knees, and there was a ragged hole in it. Her red-orange hair was pulled back from her face in a loose, messy ponytail, and her freckles stood out clearly on her nose and cheeks. She grinned at Hermione and her brown eyes lit up.  
  
"It doesn't matter what your wearing-we're here to have fun, remember? It's not like we're dressing up for guys."  
  
"Thank God," Hermione murmured, instinctively crossing her arms over her breasts.  
  
"Quit being such a prude! Hey, look! McGonagall is finally off-let's see what Lavender and Parvati have planned." Ginny took her friends arm and cheerfully tugged her away across the carpet.  
  
  
  
Draco was having a very hard time restraining himself from laughing gleefully. He'd made it! It had been wearisome, following Potter and Weasley all the way up here, trying not to make a sound, but it had been worth it-he felt his jaw drop as a petite leggy red-head in a revealing, ratty red t-shirt strode past, giggling something to a girl he recognized as being that book worm Granger.  
  
Soft tendrils of red curls bounced around her peaches and cream complexioned face, and small velvety soft ears peeked out from beneath her hair. She had a small nose, soft, friendly brown eyes, and lush pink colored lips. His eyes drifted down her small, rather pointy chin, her throat and over the fullness of her chest straining against the worn thin shirt-he guessed she must have been cold, because her small nipples were drawn tight beneath the fabric.  
  
Draco found himself swallowing reflexively.  
  
He would have wondered why she was wearing such boring nightclothes, and why she couldn't wear something with a bit of lace stuck on it in strategic places, if the t-shirt hadn't looked so damned tasty.  
  
She sat down in a mound of blankets with several of the other girls, and that was when he noticed the freckles. Freckles, red-hair, ragged clothing, a Gryffindor-it had to be a Weasley.  
  
He shook his head in disbelief-Weasley must have been hiding his sister in a dark hole somewhere. She certainly hadn't looked like a Playwizard model the last time he'd remembered seeing her. Had it been that long ago?  
  
His attention to her face was diverted as she crossed her legs, and he caught a glimpse of her slim, softly rounded inner thighs and-his breath left his chest in a rush-her silvery gray panties.  
  
Draco prayed for self-control. The scrap of a girl was making him positively weak. The derisive coolness he was famous for had deserted him entirely. He forced his gaze from her as Parvati Patil yawned and stretched her arms above her head languidly.  
  
She didn't begin to compare to Ginny Weasley in the curves department. He looked back at Ginny, eyeing her sweetly curved legs hungrily.  
  
He moved nearer, swearing he could almost taste her on his tongue-  
  
"-Draco. I mean he's such a hottie."  
  
The mention of his name pulled him out of his daze. He blinked, silently blowing a loose strand of his ruffled hair out of his eyes. Who had said that?  
  
Lavender Brown had a dazed look of her own on her face. She lay down on her stomach, resting her chin on her hands-Draco's eyebrows rose several inches as her top gaped threateningly. "I know, Malfoy is in Slytherin, and he is a obnoxious little worm-but my God, he's tasty looking."  
  
Draco, who already knew this perfectly well, just shrugged.  
  
Several girls giggled around Lavender. Ginny did not, he noticed.  
  
Wait a tick-had Brown just called him obnoxious?  
  
"He is rather good looking," said a pretty blonde girl he didn't know. "But he's going to be a Death Eater-everyone knows it."  
  
Draco frowned, trying to decide if he should feel offended. And here he'd thought the Hufflepuffs were a gossipy lot.  
  
"Harry has nothing on Draco," Parvati sighed, a smile curving her lips. "He is absolutely yummy. Now there's a guy who knows what he's about. Harry is hot, don't get me wrong-but he's a babe in the woods. If only the boy could would open his eyes-he wouldn't know an invitation if it walked up mother naked and smacked him in the face with his own wand."  
  
Draco barely kept a snort from escaping.  
  
"Hey, Harry's sweet," Ginny said defensively, and was promptly answered by a bunch of giggles and catcalls.  
  
"He is," she continued stubbornly. "I think it's sweet that he's so shy around girls. It's actually kind of…sexy."  
  
Draco almost gagged-Potter, sexy? In what alternate universe?  
  
Parvati looked at her oddly. "Right-you think it's sexy that a guy will barely touch you during a dance, and then pay you absolutely no attention after?"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Are you ever going to get past that? You were both fourteen for God's sake! You're just mad he wasn't perceptible to your 'charms' when you asked him to go to Hogsmeade with you last year in that dress you were practically falling out of, and he saw Cho walk by and forgot to answer."  
  
Even Granger laughed over that.  
  
"Well, at least I'm not still wandering around after him like a starving Kneazle," Parvati said cattily. "I mean, what's it been like for you watching him pine over Cho Chang for the past four years?"  
  
Draco watched Ginny's hands fist on her knees with interest. Please let there be a catfight, please let there be a catfight-  
  
"The only thing I have to say to that is-this!" Draco watched in amusement as Ginny yanked a pillow from behind her and she socked Parvati right in her perfectly coiffed head.  
  
This, of course, set off a chain reaction, and while Draco didn't get to see a clawing cat fight, he did get an eyeful of almost every girl in the room as they all grabbed pillows and proceeded to deck each other with joyful shrieks and giggles.  
  
He had to do some artful dodging as the girls tumbled every which way and he thought the game was up when Ginny actually fell back against him and her backside pressed against his thigh-but she just caught herself, and threw herself back into the fray.  
  
He'd never seen so many bare legs and bouncing chests in one place before.  
  
Draco decided he was in heaven just then.  
  
  
  
Ginny flopped down again a few minutes later, her temples glistening with sweat, her heart thudding painfully in her chest and she tried to catch her breath.  
  
"That was so fun!" Hermione gasped as she lowered herself down beside Ginny. She arranged her nightgown around her feet and grinned. "I always wanted to smack Parvati around-too bad it was only pillows that we had on hand."  
  
"I noticed I wasn't the only one who took a swing at her," Ginny pointed out laughingly. "I don't think she knew how many girls she offended by picking on our Harry like that."  
  
Her face darkened a bit.  
  
"She doesn't even know him," Ginny muttered moodily. "She really doesn't."  
  
Ginny glanced up from studying her bare feet after a long quiet moment, to see Hermione studying her. "What?"  
  
"You really do like him, don't you? Still, I mean."  
  
"Of course I do-he's Ron's best friend!"  
  
Before Hermione could say anything to that, Lavender announced that it was time for a game of Truth Or Dare.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes-Parvati was going to single her out somehow, she just knew it.  
  
  
  
Draco was rapidly becoming immeasurably bored. He rested his forearms across the tops of his knees where he sat on the floor against the wall and tried to stifle a yawn. At this point, he considered himself very fortunate that he had been born male.  
  
He listened as the girls played Truth Or Dare, and was very disappointed by the monotony of the questions asked-no one had yet picked 'Dare'. He'd thought Gryffindor's were supposed to be a brave bunch.  
  
"Ginny."  
  
He turned his head to see Ginny tense up. "Er-Truth."  
  
Parvati was looking at her with a nasty gleam in her eye. "Are you in love with Harry Potter?"  
  
Watching in interest, he saw Ginny's cheeks flush. Her answer surprised everyone. "No."  
  
"You can't lie," Parvati said childishly.  
  
"I'm not. I am honestly not in love with Harry Potter. I do love him- but I'm not in love with him."  
  
The game went on-Draco found out that Lavender had a shoe fetish, and Granger was 'secretly' in love with Ron Weasley. No one seemed at all surprised.  
  
When it came around to Ginny again, she again chose truth.  
  
"Are you in love with …Neville?"  
  
"No!" Ginny snapped grouchily amidst the group of giggling girls.  
  
And yet again, a few minutes later-"Are you in love with…Malfoy?"  
  
Ginny gave Parvati an extremely dirty look. "Don't you think you're beating this issue to death?"  
  
"You have to answer," Parvati protested.  
  
A chorus of other curious voices chimed in.  
  
Draco began to wonder if Patil shouldn't have been sorted into Slytherin.  
  
"Gee, everyone wants to know about me..." Ginny sighed, reaching up and pulling the elastic from her hair, ruffling the shining mass with her fingertips.  
  
Draco watched the curls frame her face with something akin to awe. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was…he blinked and sat up straight. He was not having these thoughts about a common Weasley. Why should he-he could have any girl he wanted-why should he be having such an elemental reaction to a girl whose family he was supposed to hate? It was just wrong…  
  
"Yes."  
  
Wait-what had she just said?  
  
He must've missed something. All the girls in the room had their eyes glued to her in either horror or absolute stunned surprise.  
  
What? What had she said?  
  
"You're putting me on," Parvati protested, looking a bit green. It was obvious she'd just been making a joke by asking Ginny the ridiculous question.  
  
Ginny, who was looking slightly pale, shook her head, her face half hidden by her curls. "Nope…I'm in love with Draco Malfoy. I have been for a few years…"  
  
Draco felt like someone had just slugged him in the gut. His mind was screaming 'run!' and his body was shouting, 'yes!'"  
  
He rubbed the back of his neck with a trembling hand. Immediately though, his naturally devious mind began thinking of ways he could take advantage of this little tidbit of information…  
  
"I know it will go no farther than this room, of course," Ginny said with soft, barely perceivable sarcasm.  
  
Several murmurs of assent rose.  
  
Draco knew Ginny had no doubt the word would be spread over half the school by tomorrow. He could hear the dryness in her voice where no one else could, because it was often in his own-especially when he talked to, well…everyone.  
  
"Why? Why would you love him? You never talk to him, you don't have anything in common-right? He hates Gryffindors-he hates anything that doesn't have to do with Slytherin. How can you love someone who hates you, that you don't even really know?"  
  
He watched as Ginny looked at Parvati, who'd asked the question. Sighing, she shrugged, looking enormously uncomfortable.  
  
"Well…I know it's crazy…but I was watching him-it was a day just like any other. I was in the courtyard, and he was picking on Neville-of course-but it was just…something hit me. My heart started beating really fast…this breeze was blowing, and you know how he always wears his hair slicked straight back? Well, it got all messy in the wind, and it made him look, I don't know, softer?"  
  
He promptly reached up and began smoothing his hair back severely.  
  
She blushed as a round of giggles rose. "He just looked totally different. I mean, if you watch him, when he's not being spiteful and unpleasant, he's so completely different-like all the nastiness is an act."  
  
Draco scowled at her through the cloak-the girl had a wicked body, true-and damned good taste-but she was really, really stupid. She had to be if she thought he was as good as he looked outside, inside.  
  
"No one can act that evil and not be evil," Parvati sniped challengingly. "What are you-blind?"  
  
Ginny's face went red as her temper flared. "I wasn't the one who called him 'yummy', Parvati."  
  
"Lavender and I may appreciate his looks-what girl wouldn't-but I'm not naïve enough to think that he could ever be different! He's in Slytherin, for God's sake! He's practically a Dark Wizard already!"  
  
"I never said I wanted to marry the guy! You asked me and I told you the truth! Big hairy deal! I'll grow out of it! I'm not naïve enough to think he could ever change either, but you can't help who you love!" Ginny seemed to realize she was yelling defensively and took a deep breath.  
  
"You said you loved Draco Malfoy," the blond girl who'd spoken before said numbly as if she were still in shock.  
  
Ginny groaned and fell back onto a pile of pillows.  
  
Draco found it all to be extremely amusing-not to mention the fact that he was now the center of attention. He watched Ginny interestedly as she pulled a feather pillow over her face.  
  
Granger leaned over her and sighed. "Can I have your antique silver brush set?"  
  
Ginny voice was heavily muffled. "What? Why are you asking me that?"  
  
"Because-Ron's going to murder you when he hears about this."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Let's tell scary stories!" Lavender suddenly exclaimed a few minutes later.  
  
  
  
Draco rolled his eyes despite the fact that he was still reeling from Ginny Weasley's revelation. The whole school year at Hogwarts was a bloody scary story.  
  
"In a minute-" Parvati was frowning running a palm along her leg. "I think I missed a spot shaving-damn."  
  
Draco felt his nose wrinkle. Oh, no here it comes, he thought with purely masculine dread.  
  
"You know, I found a really cool spell that just totally removes all the hair-"  
  
He put his hands over his ears. Maybe this hadn't been such a great idea after all.  
  
"Geez, really? And all this time I thought I had to wax-"  
  
"Arrrgh, I need some pepper-up-my cramps are frigging killing me this month!"  
  
Oh, God. It was ghastly, the things these girl's talked about.  
  
"What's really a pain is the under arm hair-I have so much trouble with that."  
  
"Does anyone have an extra tampon handy?"  
  
Just when he'd thought he'd heard it all…  
  
Draco decided he'd had enough when the girls started grooming each other-as in braiding each other's hair, changing their nail colors, and giving each other facials and magical manicures and pedicures. Especially when he found himself watching inquisitively as one girl began complaining about her thong and tugging at it. That was very attractive…he made a face again and quietly stood to leave.  
  
It was then that he caught sight of Ginny Weasley going up the stairs into the dorms.  
  
He followed her curiously, wondering if he could get some more dirt on her-as if he didn't already have enough.  
  
She walked up and then down into the candle lit dorms, and went over to what he assumed were her dresser drawers.  
  
Draco walked up behind her, not making a sound, but his movement caused the candle to gutter, and she whipped around to stare at the spot where he stood. He froze.  
  
After a moment, Ginny turned back around and pulled out a drawer.  
  
He relaxed slightly, and then grinned as he saw her pull out several pairs of silky panties and laid them on top of her dresser as she rummaged for something else.  
  
Draco eyed the sleek undergarments and felt his brows rise. The little Weasel had good taste for being so poor. He wondered if she was, what he had so reluctantly learned in the Muggles Studies class he'd been forced to take, a kleptomaniac.  
  
He crossed his arms under the cloak and nearly bit his tongue in two when he saw what she had been looking for-a framed picture. A painting actually-of him.  
  
Ginny looked at it for several minutes, before sighing and to his great surprise, dropping it into the waste bin near a writing desk. He wondered that he felt oddly crushed.  
  
Draco waited until she left and went to take a closer look at the picture. It was small, it fit into his hand, and it had been painted from memory apparently. It reminded him of the old-fashioned miniatures his mother had cluttering the parlors back home.  
  
The painting-it didn't look like any way he ever remembered himself. He was… different looking. He wore his school robes, and stood in front of the doors to the main hall of Hogwarts. His arms were crossed, and the smirk was there-but she'd done something to his eyes…he squinted. They were, softer; warmer…there was a twinkle in his eye that said he knew something the viewer didn't.  
  
Shaken, Draco dropped the painting back into the bin, and stood. Was that how she saw him-as being kind? As being merely mischievous?  
  
It made him incredibly angry. He didn't really know why, but it did. He was Draco Malfoy, for God's sakes! She was bloody dreaming! Why was she painting him anyway? She was acting like a deranged stalker, or something…  
  
Draco felt a muscle in his jaw begin to twitch like mad. Not stopping to think, he went over to the dresser, pulled open the drawer, and pulled out a scrap of silvery lace and silk that was identical to the pair he'd seen on her earlier.  
  
He shoved them into his trouser pocket and quickly headed back down the stairs.  
  
Ginny was sitting with Hermione Granger on the window seat again, looking glum and poking through an issue of Teen Witch.  
  
"This one, I think-" she was saying, and he watched as she opened the book and shoved it at Granger.  
  
The bushy haired girl's eyes flew wide open. "No! You cannot cut off all your hair! Are you mad? You're Mum will kill you!"  
  
Draco frowned fiercely and looked at the full-page picture-a young girl with incredibly short curly brown hair winked back at him. He frowned. That wouldn't suit Ginny at all.  
  
"Well, maybe I need a change."  
  
Was the girl completely nutters? Her hair was her glory-well; her body was a very close second, but-he couldn't believe he was thinking this!  
  
"No, absolutely not." Granger put the magazine away firmly. "You'll regret it, mark my words."  
  
Ginny sighed. "I know-I guess I was just thinking about tomorrow."  
  
"What about it?"  
  
"Oh, you know as well as I do-all that stuff about Malfoy will be all over the place. I was kind of thinking that if I looked different, no one would notice me."  
  
Even he knew how lame that was. He shook his head.  
  
"Sorry, Ginny, but you couldn't alter your appearance that much. Don't worry too much about it-it's not anyone's business but yours who you love."  
  
"So… you're not horrified and shocked?" Ginny asked this from behind her fall of red curls. She was studying her now ruby-colored fingernails nervously.  
  
"I'm your friend. I care about you-if loving Malfoy makes you happy, then I'll be the first to say congratulations."  
  
Ginny sighed sadly. "It doesn't make me happy. He'll never look at me- I don't even know why I love him. He certainly hasn't done anything to endear himself to me. He doesn't know I exist. Maybe it's just a crush."  
  
"Maybe you see something in him that no one else does," Granger said wisely, patting her friend's hand. "That's what you love. You just need to…to…oh, I don't know-try and get him to realize that that part of him is there."  
  
Draco wanted to gag. He knew all his 'parts' very well, thank you very much.  
  
Wait-that thought hadn't come out right…  
  
"Oh God, he's going to pick on me for forever when he hears this…" Ginny rubbed her face tiredly. "I'm going to bed."  
  
"It's only one o'clock!"  
  
"I can't think about this anymore." Draco watched Ginny stand up, and she smiled at Granger tiredly. "I have a feeling I'm going to be preparing for a long battle tomorrow."  
  
"Sleep well."  
  
"I will-once I knock myself over the head with a heavy blunt object for being so stupid." Ginny trudged off miserably.  
  
Draco felt deeply insulted. Why should he care what she thought of him-she was obviously brainless. Confused, he turned and stalked out of the Gryffindor common room, his mind whirling from the night's events. The portrait of the Fat Lady grumbled something about late night carrying's on and he ignored her, slamming the painting closed.  
  
Before he went down to the Slytherin dorms, he stopped by the darkened library and threw Potter's bloody troublesome, obviously cursed cloak over the chair he'd originally found it on and walked away.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ginny had to leave the common room that morning when she finally dragged out of her dorm. Ron was waiting, and just as Hermione had predicted, he was looking rather more than capable of murder. Harry was nowhere to be seen.  
  
She'd barely escaped with her rear intact.  
  
Hermione met up with her outside in the courtyard later. Ginny had skipped breakfast-she hadn't much felt like having everyone stare at her.  
  
"Here-I brought you some breakfast."  
  
She took the carefully wrapped toast thankfully and began nibbling on it.  
  
After a few minutes, she brushed her hands and looked at the other girl. "All right-so what happened?"  
  
Hermione brushed a long crinkled strand of hair out of her face. "Well-the good news is, Ron's not mad at you anymore."  
  
"Really?" Ginny perked up slightly. This was good…but it was highly unlikely that Ron had just stopped being angry-the boy could hold a grudge like nobody's business. "Let me guess-he's mad at Draco."  
  
"Right." Hermione bit her lip. "The bad news-"  
  
"There's more bad news?"  
  
Her friend nodded.  
  
"I don't want to know." Ginny stood up and began pacing. "Don't tell me."  
  
"I really think you should hear this."  
  
Ginny sat back down on the stone bench, agitated. "What is it?"  
  
"The word is out, just like we knew it would be…"  
  
"And?"  
  
"Pansy Parkinson is really hacked off?" Hermione stared at the ground.  
  
Ginny's shoulder's slumped. "Is that all?"  
  
"Er…" Hermione twisted her hands in her lap, looking excruciatingly embarrassed.  
  
"What's got you all snakey, Hermione?" asked Ginny suspiciously.  
  
"I, uh-"  
  
"You're killing me, here!"  
  
"Oh all right!" Hermione stood up and began talking so fast her words ran together. "There's a rumor that Malfoy and you-er…slept together."  
  
Ginny stared at her dumbly. "What?"  
  
"Oh, Gin! It's awful! Parvati came up and told me, and she was all smug and I was like, No way, Ginny's not like that-and she was all, Well, a boy in Slytherin told her he'd heard Draco talking about it-and I was like, it's not true, you're just being mean-" Hermione looked at Ginny miserably. "And now Ron is talking all crazy, something about challenging him to a duel."  
  
Ginny's stomach dropped to her feet. "I think… I think…"  
  
"What? What is it?"  
  
"I think I'm going to throw up."  
  
  
  
  
  
Ginny met Draco the next day with an immediate question.  
  
"All right, what do you want? Money?"  
  
"Right." Draco looked at her, highly amused. "I don't care much about money- not to mention the sad fact that you don't have any. No, it's not money I'm wanting-I have more than I could spend in ten lifetimes."  
  
"How nice for you," said Ginny as her lips twisted sourly. "So what do you want?"  
  
"You." He watched her calmly as she fell over her own feet and barely managed to catch herself.  
  
She gaped at him. "W-what?"  
  
"You asked what I wanted-I want you."  
  
Ginny stood trembling and silent, feeling as if she were caught in some travesty of a nightmare- it couldn't be happening. She'd pulled herself together finally, yesterday, and had gone looking for Draco to see what the hell was really going on. Now she wished she hadn't. She'd ended up shouting at him in front of everyone, and then storming off, looking like a fool. He'd sent her a note after that, and here she was, back talking to him-or rather, like Ron, contemplating his murder…  
  
They were standing in the trees behind Hagrid's hut, and the January snow and wind was freezing her through.  
  
"You're crazy."  
  
"Now see, that's where we have a difference of opinion."  
  
She just stared at him. "No."  
  
"Of course, if you'd like everyone-Potter included-to know about our little meeting…"  
  
Draco was saying, and he trailed off slyly. "What's wrong? Changing your mind?"  
  
Ginny felt like she might throw up-again. Her nerves were shot-all she wanted to do was disappear into a dark hole some place.  
  
"There was no little meeting!" Ginny fairly screeched. She pulled her cloak tight around her and tugged at her scarlet and gold scarf. "I don't know how you got those, but I swear you'll pay for this one day, Malfoy!"  
  
He smirked. 'What? You don't 'love' me anymore? You don't think it's all just an 'act'?"  
  
"How did you know about that? How did you-you were there!" Ginny gasped, her face paling. "Oh my God-you were there! How-?"  
  
He just looked at her.  
  
"Are you scared?" asked Draco after a moment.  
  
She remained silent.  
  
"I thought so." He watched her, a mocking smile on his lips. "You know what you're problem is? You feel too much."  
  
"I feel too much? I suppose you think feeling anything at all is feeling too much."  
  
He shrugged.  
  
"Well, I've named my price, Ginny," he put deliberate emphasis on using her name, "Accept it, or don't, but I won't waste my time doing something as mundane as quibbling. This is becoming rather tedious. You came to me- accept my terms, or go away."  
  
She looked at him in disbelief. "I came to you because you were threatening me with blackmail, you spoiled rotten bastard."  
  
"Flattery will get you no where," Draco drawled carelessly. He almost sounded amused.  
  
"I don't think I've ever disliked anybody as much as I do you, at this very moment," her voice shook with the effort of forcing the words from her closed up throat.  
  
His pale eyes looked at her sharply. "Only 'dislike'? Not 'hate'?"  
  
"Hate is a powerful word. I don't feel enough for you to hate you."  
  
He laughed. "Really? It didn't take you long to stop 'loving' me, did it? Maybe it's just that you don't know me well enough to hate me. I imagine you'll know me very well by the time this is all over." He looked her up and down appraisingly. "If this is what it took to make you feel dislike, I'm afraid to see what makes you feel hate."  
  
Ginny cut her eyes at him. "I'm tired of this. How long?"  
  
His lip curled slightly. "Three months."  
  
"Three-are you insane?"  
  
"Three. Months."  
  
"Doing what?"  
  
His eyes darkened. "What do you think?"  
  
She just stared at him. Then she called him something extremely rude.  
  
"The mouse roars…" he looked at her, amused. "You know, for a person who says they love me, you have a odd way of showing it."  
  
She ignored him. "What are your terms?"  
  
" 'My terms?' I believe you're becoming a bit jaded, my dear."  
  
She looked back at him stonily. "I had a great teacher."  
  
"Now, now-you know I'm doing this to help you."  
  
"Help me? You've never helped anyone with anything your entire life-I'd bet my own on it."  
  
"True-but you needed a lesson in life, sweet. I couldn't let you run about thinking I was a really a 'nice' guy…if I didn't take advantage of you, someone else would have eventually, and you might've come off worse for it."  
  
"You're logic is not like our Earth logic," she murmured, looking at him disbelievingly. (A/N: Buffy strikes again!)  
  
"I have in my hands the power to make your life absolutely miserable." He ignored her muttered, "Too late,"  
  
"These would look quite nice folded up in a note to say-your Father?" He dangled her panties from his fingertip. "I might even be able to explain exactly how they came into my possession."  
  
"You'd do it, too, wouldn't you?" She slowly shook her head. "My Father would kill you-that is, if my brothers didn't get to you first. Besides, what makes you think anyone would believe those are mine anyway?"  
  
"I don't think that will be a problem-firstly-you do remember what happened to your brother when he tried to hex me last, don't you? I don't think he's terribly strong in the dueling department-secondly, as for the rest of your family-you seem to forget that my Father is, well, you know what he is. And lastly, as for no one believing these are yours-there's a herd of Gryffindor girls that heard you blabbering about how much you 'loved' me. Do you really think Patil would believe anything you denied?"  
  
"You are the most heartless, cruel, despicable excuse for a human being I've ever met."  
  
Sorry," said Draco tonelessly.  
  
"Oh, you're real repentant looking, aren't you?" Ginny snapped, snatching at her silvery lingerie.  
  
Draco held the scrap of cloth out of her reach, looking at her calmly. "I told you, I'm doing this for your own good, you know."  
  
"Yeah, right, like you know what's good for me."  
  
His eyes became shuttered suddenly, and they flashed dangerously as he leaned close to her ear. "I do know what's good for you, Weasley. Me."  
  
Ginny closed her eyes as his warm breath brushed her skin, gently stirring the wisps of her hair against her neck.  
  
He pulled back, a smug self-satisfied smile on his face. "You just won't admit it. Oh, I don't mean that I actually care for you or any such nonsense as that-but I would be good to you."  
  
The dark promise in his voice made her shiver.  
  
"I'll guarantee you-after this is over, you may not 'love' me-but you won't be dumb enough to make the same mistake twice. Don't look so sad-I don't think you'll be totally unhappy with the outcome." He turned to go, but then he stopped mid-turn, and looked down at the silver panties in his hand before crushing them slowly in his fist and stuffing them in the pocket of his cloak. "I'll just hang onto these my sweet-as insurance…you know, I've often wondered if you bought these because they reminded you of my eyes."  
  
Ginny growled. "Just stop." She took a deep breath and sighed. "I want something out of this too."  
  
"I don't think you're quite getting the point here, Ginny-"  
  
"Oh, sod off. If I'm going to be-" she swallowed, and began again. "Who knows what you'll be making me do-if you're planning on not-so secretly ruining my life, I want something out of it."  
  
Draco was surprised by her demand. He eyed her closely. "What are you thinking about?"  
  
"I want Harry."  
  
He laughed. "Potter? Why would you-oh, I see. He was your first love, he's a good guy, and he's safe, right? I've wounded your poor little heart, and now you want security. Poor ickle Ginny…" Draco narrowed his eyes when she called him something unpleasant again.  
  
"Language, Weasley. What makes you think I can help you get Potter?" He snapped impatiently.  
  
"You got me, didn't you?" Ginny glared at him and crossed her arms, feeling frozen inside. What was she thinking, pulling Harry into all of this? It must have been reflex-running to Harry whenever something went wrong. He always had made her feel safe…"And I don't want you dueling Ron, either."  
  
"You really don't have the right to be asking me for anything-I'm calling the shots, here."  
  
"You're right…but even you couldn't do…whatever it is you're planning without a second thought."  
  
"There you go, giving me morals again." Draco shook his head, and Ginny watched as the sun glinted off the snowflakes settling in his hair.  
  
It had been a cruel thing, nature giving such a black soul such a deceptively angelic looking façade.  
  
"What did I ever see in you?" She asked wonderingly.  
  
"You only saw what you wanted to see, Ginny," said Draco roughly. "A pretty face-you fell in love with my looks, and talked yourself into thinking that whatever there was underneath really matched-and now you're paying for your blindness."  
  
"Through the nose," Ginny agreed quietly.  
  
After a moment, Draco sighed. "All right-you give me what I want-do whatever I want-for three months-and I help you get Potter. I'll let you know where to meet me and when."  
  
She felt herself nodding dumbly. What had just happened here?  
  
"One question-all of this rubbish aside…" Draco turned back to face her fully, an odd look in his eyes. "Why did you choose me? Really?" His voice held only curiosity.  
  
It took her a long time to answer. "I didn't…my heart did. The sad thing is, the heart doesn't have eyes or a brain to temper its feelings. You know what they say-love is blind, and all that…"  
  
"Is it really?" asked Draco disinterestedly.  
  
Ginny could only stare after him helplessly, watching him cut his cold eyes back at her only once as he strutted away, the cold winter wind billowing swirls of snow up against the ominously fluttering folds of his black cloak.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
"You said you were going to help me," Ginny hissed angrily, rapidly becoming upset. He was insane-this was not going as she had planned!  
  
"Ah, I said I would help you…but on my terms, Weasley. Besides, I don't see why you're so upset. Harry will go nutters when he sees these in my 'slimy' little hands-that would almost be my reward enough just to see the look on his face- he won't believe a word I say about us, he'll come straight to you, and you can give him your tears of humiliation and the sob story about how they'd gone missing- all the blame falls back on evil Draco Malfoy and you get the Gryffindor Golden Boy."  
  
He stepped closer to her, his nearness threatening. "Isn't that what you wanted, sweet, innocent little Ginny?"  
  
The way he said it made her flush guiltily- "You make it sound like I've entered into a pact with the Devil," she muttered angrily.  
  
"You may as well have, my sweet," Draco said all too seriously for her comfort.  
  
"Draco, Ginny, is there a problem in your corner of teen angst?" Parvati Patil was saying as she grinned at them and they looked back at her fiercely, finally noticing a small crowd of students gawking around them in the hall.  
  
Ginny glared at Draco, eyes tearing slightly before she turned away and hefted her worn book bag, hurrying away down the corridor.  
  
Draco looked after her almost regretfully and then Potter stepped out in front of him, Weasley's brother Ron clenching his fists, beside him. Damn, but they seemed to be joined at the hip.  
  
"What'd you do to her, Malfoy?" Harry demanded, dropping his bag off his shoulder onto the floor. His wand was clamped in his hand at his side.  
  
Draco smirked and curled his hand around the scrap of lace in his pocket. He looked around to see everyone had rushed off to his or hers next class, and though he knew he'd probably regret it, he pulled Ginny's unmentionables from his cloak and dangled them in front of Harry's nose.  
  
"I think I'll leave it to your imagination, Potter."  
  
Confusion clouded both pairs of eyes for a moment, and then Ron turned beet red, stepping forward. Harry put his arm out to stop him and narrowed his eyes. "No way. Let me see those-"  
  
Draco tucked them back away, crossing his arms negligently across his chest, leaning against a doorjamb. "Uh, uh. See with your eyes, not with your hands, Potty. I don't think Ginny would appreciate it if she knew you'd had your hands all over her things." He shrugged. "Anyway, she left before I got a chance to return them to her. I'm sure you'll be quiet about this, won't you? No need for these things to become…public?"  
  
"If you say one filthy word about her-" Ron gritted threateningly, looking ready to throttle him.  
  
Harry looked at him speculatively. "Don't worry, Ron. Ginny would never have let this scum touch her."  
  
"Awfully sure of yourself, Potter." Draco arched a brow, and looked at them with a knowing smirk. "Maybe she just got tired of trailing after the great Harry Potter who never once looked seriously in her direction-maybe she finally realized you were still just a boy and started looking for a real man-"  
  
Harry's fist shot out, and expecting it, Draco caught it, eyeing Harry speculatively. "Shove off, Potter. Ginny's mine-she loves me, and just because we had a little misunderstanding, it doesn't mean she has any room in her heart anymore for you."  
  
He leaned in close, pushing Harry's hand back at him violently. "You had your chance, Potter-I'm not going to be stupid enough to let her go." He looked at the two boredly before waking past them.  
  
That had gone amazingly well, and he couldn't help but grin at the memory of the looks on their faces.  
  
"You're wrong Malfoy," Harry said in a steely voice from behind him. "You were stupid enough to think you'd get her without a fight."  
  
"Big heart, small brain, Potter," said Draco over his shoulder. "Think about it. It'd be very disagreeable for me to have to kill you-I don't fancy ending up in Azkaban just because you touched my girlfriend."  
  
  
  
"Girlfriend? Ginny?" Ron stared after Malfoy in disbelief. "When did the world end, and why didn't anyone bother telling me?"  
  
Harry looked at him frowningly. "There's something not right about all this."  
  
"That's the bloody understatement of the year!" Ron slumped against the wall and rubbed his eyes. "Oh, God-my little sister was bare-breasted in front of Draco Malfoy! Could this get any more wrong? What would Mum say?"  
  
"I don't think she'd say much of anything-she'd be too busy throttling Malfoy," said Harry absently.  
  
"I thought Ginny was smarter than this," Ron said mournfully.  
  
"Don't go jumping to conclusions so quickly-I have the feeling there's a lot more going on here than there seems." Harry looked down the hall after Malfoy thoughtfully.  
  
"I think we need to go and have a talk with Ginny."  
  
  
  
TBC  
  
(A/N: Don't hate me, guys! ::begs tearfully:: I hope you like this one, and be assured the second part of this-the end- will be out within the week-it's almost finished, anyways-and a couple of my other fics will be updated soon, too. Let me know what you think-I hope it wasn't lame- and, as always, I hope you know how much your feedback means to me, and how much you guys are appreciated for reading my stuff! Love Ya! ^-^ ~Lee  
  
P.S. Aurora Marie-I don't know if you'll read this-but anyway, Ginny wants Harry because she's kind of panicking, you know? She's kind of been burnt by Malfoy and is falling back on old habits. She's thinking of Harry because he's always been kind to her, and the fact that he 'hates' Malfoy doesn't hurt either. If that makes sense-Anyways…it's reflex on her part, I think, and it will be very temporary. ^-^)  
  
(Okay, I know-this has been done, I have NO doubt, and I want you guys to know, I'm totally not petty enough to bitch about any flames I might get- hell, I'm interested in anybody's opinion-but I wanted to explain about this fic to whoever it was who called it "an awful collection of clichés and overused plot devices"-Yes, it's lame-I know that. It's absolutely, nightmarishly full of clichés and overused plot devices! ^-^ Don't think I don't-half of my fics-or actually more than half-are full of them! I appreciate the comment, and I'm very sorry the story wasn't up to your standards, but it's a work of fan-fiction, it was written solely for fun, and posted in the hopes of seeing others who share the love of the characters get a tiny bit of amusement out of it. I'm sure you guys can tell-this wasn't a great HP saga or anything! Nor was it meant to be! I hope you don't judge everything else I've written just by this one-if you didn't like it, I hope you'll give the others a try. Thanks again, anonymous reviewer. ^-^ ~Lee) 


	2. 2. Kissing A Dragon

Disclaimer: La, la, la – I own nothing, la, la, la… what? ^_^  
  
The Slytherin And The Slumber Party  
  
Part 2. Kissing A Dragon  
  
  
  
Ginny was sitting alone in a chair, contemplating how twisted her life had become when an owl swept in through the common room window and dropped a note into her lap. She frowned after the owl, and then picked up the small slip of paper. Her face froze as she opened it and read the message. 'Tonight, ten o' clock – the courtyard. – 'D'.  
  
Well, there wasn't any doubt about the identity of 'D' – even though the parchment was just a tiny scrap, it was heavy and thick – and very expensive. Trust Draco to have the best, even when it came to something as simple as paper.  
  
Sighing, she refolded the note and rubbed her eyes. She was obviously still in shock – otherwise she was sure she'd be sobbing.  
  
She wondered what he was going to do. A cold shiver ran down her spine, and it had nothing to do with the draftiness of the old castle.  
  
Voices sounded at the portrait entrance, and she looked up to see Parvati and Lavender enter. She bit back a groan and hurriedly picked up a book, pretending to be engrossed in it. Hopefully the two girls wouldn't even notice she was there…  
  
"Well, well, Ginny. Seems you've been keeping something from us."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes and looked over the top of the book at Parvati. "Sorry?"  
  
"Oh, don't act the innocent with us – I heard from a very reliable source that you, Miss Weasley, have been secretly meeting Draco Malfoy."  
  
Ginny wanted to slap the smug look off the girl's pretty face. Angry, she stood up, threw the book aside, causing the two girls to back away, and snapped, "I don't care what you think, Parvati - if I'm talking to, meeting, or hell, even screwing Draco Malfoy, it's nobody's business but ours, got it? "  
  
Of course, Harry and Ron had had to walk in at that very point.  
  
Parvati and Lavender chose that moment to escape to their dorm.  
  
Ginny felt her face flame as Harry and Ron stalked her across the common room.  
  
"Gin, I really think we need to talk," her brother said far too calmly. His hands were outstretched, and she ducked under his arm before he could get his hands around her throat.  
  
"Ron," said Harry warningly.  
  
"I - I really don't feel much like talking right now –"  
  
Ron shook his head, his eyes flashing. "No…no…Gin – Draco Malfoy has your underwear in his pocket – believe me, you feel like talking right now."  
  
Ginny groaned and fell back into her chair. She buried her face in her hands in frustration. "Please don't talk about my underwear, Ron – things are bad enough as it is without my brother chatting with me about my underwear."  
  
Harry shot Ron a look and knelt before Ginny to pry her hands away.  
  
"You can tell me what's wrong, Ginny. I know you didn't really do anything with Malfoy."  
  
She kept her eyes squeezed shut. Poor Harry – he had no idea. He was so sweet, and there was no way she was going to put him through all this. She made a note to tell Draco she'd changed her mind about wanting Harry.  
  
"Ginny, don't feel bad – it's not your fault."  
  
Opening her eyes, she looked into his, and shook her head, taking a deep breath. "It is…I – I'm in love with him Harry. The rumors are true – kind of. Anyway, don't worry about me. I'm fine – it's just with everyone finding out, it's been stressful."  
  
"WHAT?" Ron exploded behind Harry.  
  
"Oh, leave me alone, Ron – I wouldn't scream at you if you fell in love with Pansy Parkinson!"  
  
"P – Pansy Parkinson?" Ron turned an unbecoming shade of green. "Ew, Gin."  
  
Ginny looked back at Harry, who seemed to be in shock.  
  
"I – I can't – I have to go, I just got a note – have to meet someone." Ginny stood up and rushed out of the room, a piece of paper fluttering in her hand.  
  
Harry stared after her with a startled expression.  
  
Ron stepped up next to him and stared after Ginny as well. "She 'has' to be adopted."  
  
~***~  
  
"Ow!" Ginny scowled and rubbed her elbow as she bumped it on a stone statue in the courtyard. She was a few minutes late – she'd been able to hide out in the library until it was time to meet Malfoy – but she'd fallen asleep and made herself late.  
  
The courtyard was almost pitch black – it took several moments for her eyes to adjust to the dark. Other than the wind stirring against the drifts of white snow, she couldn't see or hear anything.  
  
She wondered briefly if he had changed his mind – but that would have been hoping for too much.  
  
"It's bloody freezing out here," came a familiar growl, and Ginny rolled her eyes.  
  
"And who's idea was it to meet out here, genius? It's too cold for anyone to be out."  
  
Malfoy appeared a few feet away, and approached her slowly. "Precisely – we won't be interrupted."  
  
Ginny stuffed her gloved hands into her cloak pockets and resisted the urge to back away. "I've changed my mind about Harry. I don't want him involved in this."  
  
"How noble of you," he murmured, stopping with his body inches from hers. "If that's what you want. You realize this changes nothing between us?"  
  
Ginny bit her cheek and nodded stiffly. She blinked against the snowflakes blowing against them. "I know…can we just get this over with?"  
  
He smirked and held out his gloved hand in silent invitation.  
  
She pulled hers from her pocket and placed it in his.  
  
"Follow me."  
  
Ginny swallowed hard and trailed behind him as he led the way through the falling snow. An odd feeling of anticipation shot through her, and she took a deep breath.  
  
He isn't who you thought he was, she told herself fiercely. He's an evil, selfish, conniving little rat who's going to use you and throw you aside like rubbish. You're crazy if you think this is going to mean anything to him.  
  
Ginny shut out the tiny part of her that insisted she still loved him – she really was crazy.  
  
Draco stopped suddenly, where they'd been walking along the outer wall of the castle, and ducked into an alcove she'd never even known was there. He tugged on her hand, and she walked in after him. She moved through a short, pitch-black passage, before coming out  
  
The small, arched room was still cold, but it was dry, and fresh straw covered the stone floor. An ornately carved stone bench with scrolled arms stood against the back wall. A large, ancient wooden door with iron studs took up the other wall. The lock on it looked incredibly rusty.  
  
"What is this place?"  
  
Malfoy moved away from her, lit a lantern in the corner, and hung it from a hook in the arched ceiling. "It's an outside entrance up to the Owlery – hardly anyone knows it's here."  
  
"Of course," Ginny sighed, and settled onto the stone bench.  
  
The tall, incredibly good-looking boy who'd led her there, cocked his head slightly and watched her with steely eyes.  
  
Ginny shifted nervously and removed her scarf and gloves. "Well?"  
  
Malfoy walked to her, slowly, still staring…and Ginny looked away from him – his intense study of her was making her nervous.  
  
"I don't have all night – curfew isn't far away. I don't want to add detention to my list of wrongs committed tonight."  
  
"What do you want me to do, Ginny?"  
  
His low whisper made her look back at him quickly. The heat in his pale eyes made her heart thud painfully. "W-what?"  
  
He knelt before her, nudging her legs apart.  
  
Ginny gulped, and squeezed her eyes shut.  
  
"Look at me." The cold leather of his glove touched her cheek, and she looked at him reluctantly.  
  
"I suppose you thought I was going to just throw you down and ravish you right here," he murmured coolly, eyeing her lips.  
  
She stared at the lantern light on his platinum hair, and didn't make a sound.  
  
"I have a bit more control than that," he said wryly, and dropped his hand. "I'm not some untried, fumbling school boy like Potter."  
  
Looking at him in surprise, she blinked and felt relief seep through her – until she heard his next words.  
  
"Kiss me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I said, kiss me." He grinned wickedly. "You have to do whatever I want, remember?"  
  
Ginny licked her lips nervously, and took a deep breath. "A-all right."  
  
He remained where he was, kneeling before her, his face level with hers.  
  
She held her breath, and slowly leaned forward, allowing her eyelids to flutter shut. As a result, she ended up kissing the cold tip of his nose.  
  
To her surprise, he laughed.  
  
"Hey, I kissed you – it's not my fault you didn't specify where."  
  
Draco shook his head. "As if you were aiming for my nose, Ginny. My god, you're such an innocent. Hasn't anyone ever kissed you before?"  
  
"Well, there was Neville…but he didn't manage much more than a peck before he stepped on his dress robe hem and nearly flattened me."  
  
Draco snorted. "You let Longbottom kiss you? You really must raise your standards."  
  
Ginny frowned. "Neville is a perfect gentleman – when he took me to that dance in my third year, he was so sweet – he was the first boy to ever kiss me."  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, deadpan. He ducked Ginny's smack and grabbed her hands.  
  
"Allow me to show you what a real kiss is like," he drawled, and raised his hand to tug her head down to his. He smiled, his lips inches from hers. "You can close your eyes now, you little coward," he whispered.  
  
She opened her mouth to make a nasty remark and his lips touched hers. She abruptly forgot all about talking.  
  
His lips were soft, and warm…she sighed, her head spinning – and then they opened against hers, and she gasped, only to feel the tip of his tongue slide against hers, gently.  
  
A fiery tingle started in the center of her chest as he continued kissing her. His hand slid down her neck to her shoulder, and then continued down her upper arm. His other hand flicked open the catch on her cloak, and pushed it off her shoulders.  
  
His thumb stroked the inner skin of her elbow through her school sweater and she shivered. He deepened the kiss.  
  
Ginny couldn't believe Draco was kissing her – she couldn't believe she was letting him. She made a sound that made her blush wildly – it was becoming hard to think…  
  
He didn't seem to have any intention of pulling away from her – he gripped her upper arms suddenly, and made a growling noise low in his throat, kissing her hungrily.  
  
She had the sensation that she was moving, briefly, and felt the cold stone floor against her knees before she threw caution to the wind and lost herself in his kiss again. She didn't have the will to fight anything he did at that point.  
  
At last, he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. "That was a kiss," he said, his breath coming in gasps.  
  
Ginny looked at him fuzzily. "I'll say…I don't think I could stand up now if I wanted to."  
  
Draco ran a hand through the curls above her ear and smiled. "You don't want to?"  
  
She felt herself flush hotly. She looked at him a little dreamily. "Are you really Draco Malfoy?"  
  
He touched her cheek with his hand and smiled crookedly. "On a good day, yes."  
  
He caught her lips with his again, and she melted against him, her hands clenching in helpless fists in the straw next to his shoulders.  
  
Draco kept a hand on the nape of her neck, and she started a little when his other hand settled on her exposed calf, and then slid his warm, leather gloved hand up the back of her thigh.  
  
Ginny tried push his hand away, but got distracted…  
  
She did push away when she felt his hand brush her hip, and then, unbelievably the point of her suddenly overly sensitive breast.  
  
"Don't!" She gasped breathlessly, feeling fiery sparks rush through her abdomen.  
  
He slowly opened his eyes, and looked up at her from beneath his lashes boredly. He finally rolled his eyes and dropped his hands away with a sigh.  
  
She sighed too and then blinked, sitting up. "Er – when did I end up on the floor?" He was lying on the floor beneath her, and she was practically straddling him!  
  
Draco lazily dropped his head back into the straw and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Don't look at me – you're the one who threw me down and crawled on top of me."  
  
Ginny pushed against his shoulders in an attempt to get up. "I did not! Let me go!"  
  
"Embarrassed? You should be." He tugged her down and brushed his lips against hers again before releasing her. He watched her stand up shakily and draw on her discarded cloak before raising his hands behind his head and drawling, "You act like an innocent – but you knew very well what you were doing…"  
  
"Stop it," Ginny hissed, throwing her scarf around her neck.  
  
"Admit it – I could have had you in a second, if I'd wanted you,"  
  
She pulled on her gloves with shaking hands and looked down at him angrily. He lay in the soft mounds of straw with his eyes closed – his hair was mussed, and his lips were pink from the pressure of their kisses. She found herself touching her own swollen lips with her tongue, and he opened his silvery eyes to watch her.  
  
The smug look on his handsome face infuriated her, and she turned to stomp away – but his voice stopped her.  
  
"Meet me back here tomorrow night, same time, Gin. I'm not finished with you…not yet."  
  
Ginny clenched her teeth and walked away, out into the dark, freezing night.  
  
  
  
~***~  
  
Lucius Malfoy watched the girl leave his son in his magical mirror. Draco sat up from his bed of straw to watch her go, the smug expression on his face falling. It was replaced by a look of such longing that it disgusted him.  
  
Draco had been his to manipulate since his birth. He had plans for the boy, and he couldn't let the Weasley witch destroy them. He'd kept a close watch on his son since he'd gone off to Hogwarts…this wasn't the first time he'd had to put a stop to one of his son's pointless relationships with an unsuitable female.  
  
He laid the flat mirror aside, settling back in his chair, steepling his fingers against his chin thoughtfully. The girl could only complicate things. To keep from drawing attention, he would first simply write to his son, and demand that he stop seeing her.  
  
If that didn't work…he'd have no choice but to get rid of her for him, before she turned his son against him, and insinuated herself into the heart he'd taken such pains to convince his son didn't exist.  
  
~***~  
  
After a week of Draco's 'meeting's', Ginny was a bundle of raw nerves. There was no way she was going to endure – no, survive, three months of him. He hadn't done, well, 'that'…yet anyway. She was convinced he was torturing her. Not that she wanted to do 'that' with him…but he'd made a game of affecting her to the point of pain, and leaving her with a cool glance and a harsh command about when to meet him next. It was almost as if he were punishing her for something.  
  
It was driving her crazy!  
  
  
  
She jumped when she rounded a corner in the dungeons, and he walked right into her.  
  
"Geez, Malfoy – watch you're going!" Ginny stooped to retrieve a fallen book and found his hand on it already. She looked up at him, her nose nearly touching his.  
  
"Be nice, Ginny…don't you know, we're a 'couple'?" He smirked and straightened up, handing her book.  
  
She grabbed it and turned her nose up. "A couple? Right…I bet you love that, people running around, blathering about how you 'scored' with me. All the while, you're making jokes about me, and giving the lewd details to your friends, right? Well, enjoy it while it lasts."  
  
He shook his head. "What I do on my own time is no one's business but my own. I don't make a habit of chatting with my cohorts about my 'conquests'. Speaking of - I was coming to tell you…regretfully, I can't meet with you tonight. It seems my father has gotten wind of what's been going on – I have to spend my evening writing an answer to his latest letter."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"Things that would make your blood run cold, I imagine," he said lightly, and turned away with a smirk.  
  
Ginny walked after him, ignoring the glances she received from a few students as they passed. She watched Draco wave absently to a pretty Slytherin girl who called out a greeting, and she resisted the urge to snarl at her.  
  
"Tell me what the letter said," she said insistently as she caught up with him. She grabbed his robe sleeve and tugged it.  
  
He finally stopped, turned, and snapped, "It's really none of your business, Weasley. It's none of your concern."  
  
"It's my concern if he mentioned my name! What if he tries to hurt my family, Draco?" She angrily wiped a tear from her eye. "You've had your fun – this is serious! Just let's stop this! Write him back and tell him you want nothing to do with me!"  
  
Draco wrapped his hands around her upper arms, shaking his head. He looked furious suddenly. "The world doesn't revolve around you, Ginny Weasley," he hissed in a whisper. "He did insist that I stop seeing you – but far more importantly, he expressed his wishes that I follow in his footsteps after graduation, and become a Death Eater!"  
  
Ginny gasped and backed away from him, He let her go, his teeth bared. "Are you happy now?" He stalked away from her, his robes billowing, the expression on his face so fierce it made students approaching from the opposite direction flinch and press themselves against the walls to get out of his way.  
  
Shocked, Ginny stared after him numbly. She hated herself in that instant. Because she didn't fear for her family – she suddenly found herself fearing for him.  
  
~***~  
  
Draco looked at Ginny somewhat hopelessly, which worried her-he'd never looked that way before in his life, she'd just about stake her life on it. She'd followed him into the Astronomy tower after dinner, to try and talk some sense into him – but it was like trying to talk to – well, Ron.  
  
"What's the point in me changing, Ginny? Everything else around me stays the same; why should I bother?"  
  
Ginny took his icy hands in hers, and tried not to show the chill that attacked her spine as he looked at her, his silver eyes wintry despite the way she knew he really felt about her. The way he'd looked across at her at dinner that night…he had to feel something. "It would matter to me, Draco."  
  
He shoved her hands back at her angrily, suddenly. "I'm never going to be Potter-don't waste your time trying to fit me into his oh so perfect mold. I've made it this far as I am – I don't have to change. My personality suits me just fine. Go bother Harry – I'm sure you'll marry in couple of years and you can have his whining, speccy, messy haired little brats."  
  
"I hate you sometimes," Ginny breathed abruptly, immediately regretting it. Her eyes shot up to his, catching them blaze suddenly.  
  
His cruel, beautiful lips twisted as he smiled ironically. "Really? I've finally done something to make you hate me? Somehow I remain unsurprised." He turned his back to her as he paced to the window, looking phantom - like in the moonlight. "I trust you remember your way out, Weasley."  
  
"You're going to do it, aren't you? You're going to become one of them - a death eater." Her voice was flat in the near silence. "You're going to throw your life - your soul away on Voldemort? Just on your father's bloody say so?"  
  
Draco didn't turn - there wasn't any sign he'd even heard her. He just looked out his window, watching the snow fall heavily outside.  
  
  
  
In the reflection of the windowpane, he could see her, clearly as if he'd been looking in a mirror. He tucked his hands inside his pockets so he didn't have to notice their shaking. He was so angry at that very moment- perhaps angrier than he'd ever been in his life- that he was almost scared for Ginny. Almost. It made him furious, her coming to him and pretending to care for him for the sake of her family.  
  
He saw her moving closer, eyes troubled, saw her each her hand out to touch his shoulder- and knew if she did, he'd turn on her in a way she'd never thought possible.  
  
He narrowed his molten silver gaze, and turned to her, making her hand drop.  
  
Undaunted, she went on, until Draco could take it no more, and he hissed, like the silver snake clasp that held his cloak together. "Leave me."  
  
"No…"  
  
He turned on her, his expression dark. He reached out and pulled her against him, and stared down at her through slitted eyes.  
  
She stared back, mutinously.  
  
"You have to keep tugging my tail, don't you? You can't just leave me alone."  
  
Ginny found herself smiling sadly. The sudden vision of herself prodding a disdainful looking silver dragon came to mind and it was utterly ridiculous.  
  
" "Meddle not in the affairs of dragons," " she quoted softly.  
  
"You should have remembered that a week ago." He bent his head and seized her lips, with anger. There was possession in his kiss, and it confused her…because all he'd talked about was that he wanted her to go.  
  
He pulled away from her after a moment. "You can leave now…and if that prat Harry ever kisses you…you'll remember how a real kiss felt."  
  
Ginny wanted to go pound on him, make him see what he was doing, what he was losing-but if he couldn't tell that on his own…  
  
"You're a fool, Malfoy," she managed out between the sobbing breath's her steel banded feeling chest was allowing, "And to quote quite appropriately an old Muggle book - 'I hope you are happy with the path that you have chosen.'"  
  
Ginny thought she saw his fists clench before she turned away and rushed out of the tower, her heart and some other, not as well known part of her feeling ripped to shreds.  
  
Draco remained near the window for a long time after she left - he didn't know what hurt more - the fact that Ginny thought he would bow to his father or Voldemort so easily, or that she had actually given up on him at last.  
  
~***~  
  
TBC  
  
(A/N: " 'Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup…' " ^-^ I love that! Wish I knew who said it. Anyway, I know this isn't the end – I said I was going to put this story up in two long parts and I lied! Big surprise – Malfoy is a really bad influence. ::grins nastily:: So it'll be three parts – the reason being, a lot of folks don't like how long the first was, sooo…plus, the ending just wasn't coming – and when it did, well…believe me, you wouldn't have liked it. So it's being re – written, and I'm trying really hard to get it finished soon!!! No, I'm not lying! Hope this was worth the wait. ^-^ Thanks for putting up with me guys! Reviews would rock! ^-^ ~Lee) 


	3. 3. The Unexpected

Disclaimer: Man, I hate these things. No, it's not mine – no, I don't claim to own it. No, I'm not making any money from it. Grrr…  
  
The Slytherin And The Slumber Party  
  
3. The Unexpected  
  
  
  
In the days that followed that night in the tower, Ginny realized that she had been selfish.  
  
She shouldn't have expected Draco to change – deep down, she didn't really want him to.  
  
He'd been right when he'd told her she'd fooled herself into thinking he was really someone else inside.  
  
She loved him just the way he was – and that scared her. She didn't want to love him, but after days of nursing the hollow ache in her chest, she resignedly gave into the feelings she'd buried.  
  
He was spoiled, and selfish, thoughtless and cruel – and she loved him.  
  
She really loved him just the way he was.  
  
That was what she should have told him back in the tower.  
  
That was what she should have said.  
  
~***~  
  
"Love sucks." Ginny muttered one morning as she sat staring at her slowly congealing scrambled eggs.  
  
Ron, who'd only just started speaking to her again, paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. "What's wrong, Gin? Lover boy finally showing his true colors?"  
  
Hermione, who sat next to him, jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "Don't be mean, Ron."  
  
"Oh, and she wasn't being mean to me when she started going out with that rat?"  
  
"You're her brother, you're supposed to be supporting her, not digging at her!" Hermione snapped at him curtly, her eyes fiery.  
  
Ron narrowed his eyes and slowly put down his fork. "You don't know anything about it, 'Mione…just keep your nose out of it!"  
  
Ginny forgot her own misery for a moment to look across at Harry, who sat on Ron's other side, and see him looking at his two friends curiously as well.  
  
She'd never seen her brother speak so threateningly to Hermione…  
  
"I won't keep my nose out of anything," Hermione shot back fiercely. "I'm tired of watching you mope around over something that's not even any of your bloody business! She's in love with Draco Malfoy – accept it, get over it, and get on with your life!"  
  
Ron stood up and towered over Hermione, his fists clenched at his sides.  
  
Ginny looked away from the spectacle long enough to notice that the two had gained an awfully lot of attention…  
  
Hermione wasn't intimidated, however. She threw her napkin onto her plate, and stood up, planting one hand on her hip, and waving the other in her brother's face.  
  
She found herself biting her lip to keep from smiling.  
  
"I've always taken your temper tantrums and silences with a grain of salt, Ron Weasley, but I'm not doing it anymore! I hope you're actually paying attention for once, because I'm going to say it just one more time, and you'd damned well better listen – Get. Over. It!"  
  
Ron's face was rapidly turning as red as his hair.  
  
Harry was watching his friend closely, clearly ready to jump up and grab him if he started getting violent. He looked over at Ginny and she gave her head a tiny shake.  
  
"Yeah, well…did anyone ever tell you, you're a bloody pain in the ass?"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes, and everyone in the hall who'd been holding their breath let it out.  
  
"I think we'd better continue this discussion somewhere a bit more private," Hermione muttered, and tugged the protesting red head away out of the hall, sending Ginny a small wink.  
  
Go for it, Hermione, she cheered silently.  
  
Harry shook his head and looked after the squabbling pair. Apparently they'd stopped just outside the hall, because everyone could still hear them yelling at each other, in muffled voices.  
  
"At least somebody around here is going to have a happily ever after," she sighed, feeling extremely sorry for herself.  
  
"You think she's finally going to tell him?"  
  
"Yep." Ginny leaned forward on her elbows and hissed, "Or he'll finally tell her - I think he might even beat her to it."  
  
As if on cue, the escalating argument suddenly became silenced, and Ginny giggled into her hand as a slight blush rose on Harry's cheeks.  
  
"I'm glad we didn't get around to making a bet on it," he finally said, grinning. "I definitely would have lost."  
  
Ginny reached across the table and squeezed his hand with hers, smiling brightly, feeling incredibly happy for her friends.  
  
"Now…all you have to do is go and talk to Cho…"  
  
~***~  
  
Draco nearly bit his tongue in two as he watched Ginny take Potter's hand, and lean across the table to whisper something.  
  
He narrowed his eyes, feeling jealousy race through his veins like a fiery green poison.  
  
It hadn't even been a week, and she was practically crawling into the speccy git's lap.  
  
He stood up, removing himself from the table with quiet deliberation – the reason being, there were far too many sharp things within his reach, and he didn't trust himself just then.  
  
Draco walked past the Gryffindor table, clenching his fists as he moved past Potter's back, and he let his eyes meet Ginny's…  
  
  
  
Ginny felt her breath catch in her throat as Draco walked by, his eyes burning as they met hers.  
  
A muscle worked furiously in his jaw, as he dropped his silvery eyes to where her hand rested on Harry's.  
  
She snatched her hand back as if it had been burned, and he looked back up at her with a sneer and moved away.  
  
Harry frowned at her, oblivious to the exchange, and then he turned his head to catch what she'd been staring after.  
  
"What's his problem?"  
  
Ginny smiled sadly. "Somebody's jealous."  
  
"What? Oh…" Harry's brows rose over the rims of his glasses. "He thought…"  
  
"Yep." Ginny shook her head and prodded the rubber – like eggs on her plate with her index finger. They were ice – cold. She sighed and stood up.  
  
"Well, have a good day, Harry – I've got to get to class."  
  
"You too. Bye, Gin…"  
  
~***~  
  
Ginny jumped, startled, the next morning, when a letter was dropped in her lap when the owl post came.  
  
She'd been watching a hundred small missiles drop from the owls darting by overhead, and didn't expect the envelope that was dropped right past her nose.  
  
Frowning, she opened the letter, and read.  
  
'Weasel – where did you get the idea that we were finished? You seem to have forgotten one small thing – you're still mine for two and a half more months…so you can forget about whatever you had planned with Potter until then.  
  
Meet me tonight, in the usual place, eight o'clock – if you don't show, I'll take that as an invitation to make good on my previous threats – I think you know by now, you don't want me as your enemy.  
  
Yours, D'  
  
Ginny couldn't decide if she felt ill, angry, or idiotically happy.  
  
"What'd you get there, Gin?"  
  
She closed the letter slowly, and tucked it away. "Oh, junk mail…"  
  
Ron looked skeptical, but turned his attention back to Hermione, who was smiling up at him prettily.  
  
Ginny suddenly grinned at the couple – Hermione had come shrieking into the sixth year dorms the night before looking ecstatically happy, and told her that Ron had asked her to be his girlfriend.  
  
She watched her brother take Hermione's hand and rub his thumb across her knuckles as he laughed at something she said. He looked at his girlfriend as if she were the most beautiful thing in existence –  
  
Teary eyed, Ginny excused herself, keeping her eyes on the floor as she walked between the tables – she almost tripped as someone stuck their legs right out in front of her, and she couldn't pass.  
  
She looked up, irritated, and froze when she saw Draco. He was sitting on the bench with back turned to the table, leaning on his elbows and his long legs stretched out before him.  
  
He watched her closely for a moment, his eyes hooded, and then smirked, lazily moving his legs.  
  
"So sorry, Weasel…didn't see you there."  
  
Ginny felt her eyes sting again as half of the Slytherin table snickered, and she shot Draco a furious look before she stalked past him with a toss of her hair.  
  
~***~  
  
Draco felt the smirk fall from his lips as he watched Ginny walk away – she'd been on the verge of crying. He'd seen the diamond sheen of tears in her brown eyes when she'd looked at him, and it had struck him like a blow to the stomach.  
  
He had the urge to get up and go after her, but he wouldn't let himself. She was probably just upset about not getting to spend her evenings with Potter.  
  
Anger at the thought pushed away the unfamiliar feeling of sympathy irritating him, and satisfied, he turned back to his untouched breakfast.  
  
~***~  
  
Ginny arrived at the appointed place, at the appointed time, feeling nearly numb from the cold.  
  
Draco was already there, reclining on the stone bench with his hands clasped over his abdomen. He was staring at the arched ceiling, and didn't bother even looking at her as she pulled off her cloak, shaking snow from the folds.  
  
She removed her scarf, and gloves, and took a tentative step forward.  
  
He closed his eyes, and she saw his chest rise as he took a deep breath.  
  
Ginny watched the lantern light flicker across his pale, perfect features, emphasizing the sharp hollows of his cheeks, and the shiny sleekness of his combed back hair.  
  
"What'd Potter say when you told him where you coming?"  
  
Ginny blinked, crossing hers arms against the chill in the air as his cool, emotionless voice broke the silence.  
  
"Why would I tell him where I was going? I mean, I know what you thought yesterday, but Harry and I are not involved-"  
  
"Spare me."  
  
Ginny watched his eyelids flicker open, and he slowly sat up, turning his back to the wall. He leaned his head against the wall, and crossed his arms, looking at her steadily.  
  
Ginny's skin tingled as he lazily held out a hand, palm up.  
  
She crossed the room, and put her icy hand in his.  
  
He closed his fingers around hers, and pulled her down to sit next to him.  
  
Ginny watched as he tuned to face her, and brought his fingers up to brush against the underside of her chin.  
  
"Close your eyes," he demanded softly.  
  
She felt her heart thud painfully, and did as he asked.  
  
He moved closer to her, and she saw the shadows shift from behind her eyelids as his shoulders blocked out the light.  
  
"Did he touch you?"  
  
Surprised, Ginny opened her eyes, only to have him brush them closed again with his fingertips.  
  
"Remember, whatever I want, Ginny…keep your eyes closed."  
  
She trembled as his breath fanned her cheek.  
  
"Did he touch you? Did you let him?"  
  
The deceptive calmness of his voice made her shiver – she could feel the barely leashed violence in his touch as his hand wrapped gently around her throat.  
  
"No, he didn't touch me…"  
  
His hand tightened. "You're lying."  
  
She shook her head. "No…it's the truth."  
  
His lips brushed her ear as he tilted her head to one side. "Where'd he touch you, Ginny? Where? Here?"  
  
She bit her lip as his hand dropped from her neck to her breasts, rubbing gently, before lowering to curl about her hip.  
  
She shook her head, dizzy and breathless, as he trailed kisses along the curve of her throat.  
  
"Where did he kiss you, Ginny, luv? Anywhere? Your lips, your wrists…"  
  
His low whisper trailed off as he lifted her hands to his lips, brushing kisses along her knuckles.  
  
He smiled against her palm when he pressed a kiss there, and she shivered. He moved to the sensitive skin of her wrist, pushing back the cuff of her sweater. His warm tongue glided across her skin, slowly, and Ginny couldn't keep a gasp from escaping.  
  
"I can make you forget anything he ever did to you – I can keep you here all night if I want, and kiss you in places you've never even thought of…I can touch you all I want, Ginny, and you'd love it."  
  
Ginny took a shaky breath and opened her eyes to stare into his. They were as cold as they'd been when she'd first walked in. "Harry has never touched me, Draco. I wish you'd believe that."  
  
He shrugged and dropped his lips to her wrist again.  
  
"Stop," she said, tugging her wrist from his hand. "You're playing with me."  
  
He smirked, his cold eyes traveling over her heaving chest. "Not yet- give me time."  
  
Ginny pushed off of the bench, and began pacing, trying to make her heart slow. "Why are you doing this? You know what your father said."  
  
"My father?" Draco shook his head, laughing derisively. "My father has nothing to do with this – he can go to the devil along with Voldemort as far as I'm concerned. This is between us, Ginny…and if he doesn't like it, he can bloody well fuck off."  
  
Ginny sucked in a deep breath. "It just goes to show, you don't care about anyone else but yourself – do you know what he could do to my parents, Draco? My family?" She shook her head and looked at him pleadingly. "I…I do love you, Draco, stupid as I am…but I can't do this. Not with your father looming over us...I think we should just drop this."  
  
"You make it sound like you have a choice, Ginny," he drawled. "Have you forgotten I'm blackmailing you?"  
  
"Oh stop it, Draco – we're way past that!" Ginny snapped, flinging her heavy curls over her shoulder. "I know you like me – you wouldn't go to all this trouble if you didn't. And if you really do like me, or care for me in any way, you'll let me walk away right now, because no matter how much I might want to be with you, I'd never forgive myself if something happened to my parents."  
  
He dropped his eyes from hers, and seemed to be grinding his teeth.  
  
"All right," he said finally, his voice hard and flat. "I'll leave you alone, Ginny. If that's what you really want."  
  
Ginny felt hot tears spill down her cheeks, and she moved forward to drop to her knees before him. "No, it's not what I really want, Draco…but it's what I have to do…please understand…"  
  
He looked at her reluctantly, and his eyes softened to cloudy gray when he saw her tears.  
  
"Don't cry, Gin…"  
  
She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Don't let your father make you into what he is, Draco. You're better than that – I'm sure you're meant for better things." She stood up, pulled on her things, and swiped at the tears on her cheeks.  
  
Draco stood up, and watched her, his hands shoved into his pockets.  
  
Ginny sniffled, pulling her fall of hair from beneath the collar of her cloak. She turned back to him, and forced a smile. "So? Aren't you going to tell me how stupid I am for falling for you again?"  
  
She watched him swallow, noting the tenseness of his shoulders. He walked forward, and stopped right in front of her.  
  
"No…you have excellent taste."  
  
Ginny grinned and then bit her lip.  
  
"I guess I'll go."  
  
"You probably should…if I get my hands on you again, I won't let you go."  
  
She met his eyes, surprised.  
  
"Why do you think I've got my hands in my pockets?" He shrugged. "My self – control is on vacation tonight."  
  
Ginny would have laughed if she hadn't felt so horrible.  
  
"Well…goodbye."  
  
He didn't say anything – if she'd have been hoping for a sudden proclamation of his love, she'd have been sorely disappointed.  
  
But thankfully, she knew better.  
  
Ginny turned and walked away.  
  
  
  
Draco kept his spine stiff as he watched her go. He closed his eyes for a moment, willing the unfamiliar ache in his chest away, trying not to think of the things he'd wanted to say, the things he should have said. After he opened his eyes, he walked over to the corner, lifted down the lantern, and opened it up, blowing out the flame flickering inside.  
  
  
  
~***~  
  
"We lose along the way, the things we leave behind," – 'Halo', Oleander  
  
  
  
Ginny shooed a grumpy garden gnome out through the hole in the hedge surrounding the garden, and wiped a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead.  
  
"You know they're just going wander back quicker that way, Gin," Ron called over his shoulder.  
  
Ginny straightened up, blowing away a loose red curl that was tickling her nose. "It's mean to throw them out of the garden like that – they always come back with skinned noses."  
  
Ron rolled his eyes and kept digging in the bushes. He pulled his hand back with a curse as a particularly ill-tempered gnome bit him.  
  
"Why you-"  
  
Ginny giggled and walked back into the burrow, fanning herself – it was late July, and the air was fairly boiling.  
  
She walked into the kitchen, and got a cold, icy glass of lemonade. Just as she was pouring another for her brother, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye, and she frowned, moving around the kitchen table to look out the window.  
  
She couldn't see anything, except bees buzzing around the honeysuckle vine outside of the window…  
  
Ginny shrugged, and pulled the stubborn strap of her white halter top back up over her shoulder and turned back to the counter where she'd left the glasses.  
  
She'd just picked them up, and started back out into the garden when a knock came on the front door.  
  
Ginny turned, sighing in frustration, and made her way to the door, wondering whom it possibly could be.  
  
"Coming!"  
  
Ginny juggled the glasses, twisted the doorknob, and threw open the door.  
  
"Hello, Ginny!"  
  
"Hermione!!! Oh, my god!" Ginny set the glasses aside and drew the girl into her arms.  
  
"Ron! Hermione's back!"  
  
~***~  
  
"Slumber party!"  
  
Ginny shook her head. "No, no way. No slumber party."  
  
Hermione bit her lip. Then she looked at Ginny and grinned. "Slumber party."  
  
Ginny got off her bed and paced the room. "I'm sorry, I know you just got back from your vacation with your parents, and you're still healing from the whole battle against Voldemort with Harry and Ron, but you do remember what happened the last time we attended a Slumber party?"  
  
Hermione looked up from examining the almost non – existent scar circling her abdomen, and let her t – shirt drop. She tilted her head and pouted. "Come on – it'll be fun. Just me, and you…no Lavender, no Parvati – " she smiled. "You're parents aren't due back until Monday…please?"  
  
"What about Ron?"  
  
"Ron has decided to go and visit Harry and Sirius for the weekend…so it'll just be us! What do you think?"  
  
Ginny sighed, her eyes straying to the yearbook picture of a smirking Draco in his graduation robes that she'd cut out of the Hogwarts annual and pinned on the wall above her bed. She felt tears sting her eyes, and wet her lips, looking away.  
  
"Okay…since it means so much to you…but remind me to put a locking charm on my lingerie drawer, all right?"  
  
Hermione laughed softly, and turned her head to look over at the picture of Draco sadly.  
  
"I miss him, Hermione…I still miss him." Ginny swallowed, wrapping her arms around her middle.  
  
"I know you do, Ginny…I'm sorry I reminded you-"  
  
"No, I'm glad you reminded me…though it's not as if I'll ever forget him." Ginny walked over to her window, which was open to the night air, and looked out into the darkness.  
  
"No one will ever forget him, Ginny – he practically saved Harry's life."  
  
"Yes…I know." She dropped her head to her chest and tried to push away the raw pain in her heart. "I know."  
  
"I'm going to go and see about dinner – you coming?"  
  
"In a minute."  
  
"All right…I love you, Gin – you know that, don't you?"  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
Ginny heard the bedroom door close behind her and let the tears fall. She blinked through them, and put her hands on the windowsill, leaning out into the darkness to stare up at the stars in the night sky.  
  
~***~  
  
(A/N: Okay – this is originally where I was going to end it – but it seemed way too cruel. Oh, all right it wasn't because it seemed cruel, or because I was afraid of you guys murdering me – 'I' just couldn't leave it that way. ::Sobs:: Anyway, read on. Shoo! ^-^)  
  
~***~  
  
"Ewww!" Ginny buried her face in her pillow for the hundredth time that night.  
  
"Why did I ever agree to watch this?" She groaned, her voice muffled by the pillow.  
  
"Oh, come on! You have to admit, that was pretty cool, the way his head just exploded."  
  
Ginny dropped the pillow and lifted her head to stare at her friend. "Who'd have thought in all the years I've known you, that you were a closet muggle horror movie fanatic?"  
  
Hermione grinned around a mouthful of popcorn, and turned her eyes back to the gore on the TV she'd had her parents send along the day before. "I'm not a fanatic – I just happen to have a great appreciation for Hammer films, that's all. They're classics."  
  
Ginny shook her head and groaned as yet more horribly fake looking blood was spilled. The movie was so lame it was laughable. "I think Ron finally rubbed off on you," she said sorrowfully as she stood up to go into the kitchen. "I'm going to get another drink – want one?"  
  
"No, thanks – I'm near floating, now." Hermione crawled out of her blankets on the living room floor, pushed the stop button on the VCR and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom – back in a sec."  
  
"Okay." Ginny walked into the dark kitchen, yawning, and picked up her wand from the table. "Lumos," she said around another yawn, lighting the room, and dug in the cupboard for another bottle of butter beer.  
  
"Nox,"  
  
She wandered back into the living room, which was stifling hot, and seeing that Hermione hadn't yet returned, she went outside to get some air.  
  
  
  
Thunder rumbled in the distance as she stepped out the front door, and a welcome rush of cool air brushed through her hair, and against her skin.  
  
Ginny settled herself on a wooden bench on the porch, and set her drink aside, leaning her head back against the house. She watched the leaves on the trees in the front yard sway in the wind, and the clouds moving in hide the stars shining vibrantly above.  
  
Purple heat lightning sparked silently overhead, and she closed her eyes, listening to the wind.  
  
The pain was still there, squeezing her hollow chest into aching pieces.  
  
It was always there – she'd just gotten really good at ignoring it at times – and hiding it from her sympathetic, well meaning friends.  
  
Draco's face loomed up in her thoughts again, haunting her, and she could almost feel the touch of her fingers on her jaw again…  
  
Ginny opened her eyes as the thunder sounded again, closer this time. She ignored the rising wind, and stared at the fast moving clouds in the night sky, remembering the last time she'd seen him alive.  
  
It had been at the train platform the evening after the graduation ceremony.  
  
Everyone had been grinning, celebrating, saying ther goodbyes – everyone had had their whole future stretching out before them…none of them had known what was lying in wait, scant days ahead.  
  
She'd been standing with her friends, laughing at something Harry had said…and she'd felt someone watching her.  
  
Looking away, she'd seen Draco staring at her from a few feet away – and her blood had run cold as she saw the piercing eyes of his father, Lucius, looking at her as well, with immense dislike.  
  
He'd placed his hand on his son's shoulder – and Draco had shrugged it off, still looking emotionlessly at Ginny, before he'd turned away, and disappeared with his father.  
  
She'd gotten the news from a bitter, angry Ron, later, that he'd joined Voldemort's ranks.  
  
The betrayal had torn out her heart.  
  
A week after gradation, when Harry, Ron and Hermione had been visiting together at The Leaky Cauldron in London, Voldemort had at last made his move.  
  
More than half the people present hadn't made it – and the massacre hadn't ended when the battle had moved out into Diagon Alley.  
  
Hermione had been nearly killed, she'd very nearly bled to death on the cobblestones…Ron had been knocked unconscious, and had actually been in a coma for two weeks. And Harry – well, poor Harry was still recovering from the repeated use of the Cruciatus…  
  
Hermione had told her all about it, when Ginny had gone to visit her in the hospital. She'd said something about setting things straight…  
  
Voldemort had been seconds from using the killing curse, when Draco had shed his Death Eaters mask…  
  
Ginny shut her eyes against a flood of tears that would never completely go away…she didn't want to think of how he'd died –  
  
By his own father's hand…  
  
Hermione had been convinced he'd been planning it all along. Ginny wished she could be so sure. It was hard, loving him, and having doubts – and knowing he was gone, and wasn't around to defend himself.  
  
Ginny felt a small smile curl her lips. Draco wouldn't have bothered to defend himself – he would have told anyone who questioned him to sod off, no doubt.  
  
A gentle rain began falling, and she stood up to walk to the edge of the porch rail, reaching her hand out to feel it.  
  
Thunder rumbled loudly overhead, and Ginny frowned as a chill ran along her spine. Her skin prickled as she suddenly felt eyes on her…she thought she heard footsteps on the wooden planks behind her, and whirled around, tasting her fear sharp and bitter on her tongue.  
  
'Damn Hermione and her horror movies,' she thought briefly, annoyed, before she saw a dark shape lounging against her escape – the door.  
  
She almost screamed, a thousand images flashing through her mind, before she remembered she still had her wand in her hand, and pointed it at the shadow.  
  
The shape shifted, a flash of lightning lighting up the world for an instant, glinting in hooded silver eyes, and damp white – blonde hair before it faded out.  
  
Ginny dropped her wand, and it clattered on the floor and rolled away.  
  
"Draco?"  
  
~***~  
  
Draco stepped forward to catch her before she fainted.  
  
He caught her arms and propelled her back to her bench before reluctantly letting her go and stepping a safe distance away.  
  
Draco watched her stare up at him impossibly wide eyes, and almost damned himself coming there…  
  
He pushed a hand through his wet hair and grimaced, waiting for her to start screaming obscenities, or start shrieking in terror about being in the presence of a known Death Eater…but she just stared at him.  
  
The way she watched him made him uncomfortable. Afraid he'd made her lose her mind, he decided the best way to get her to snap out of it was to make her good and angry.  
  
"Well, don't just sit there and gawk at me…yes, I'm really here. No, I'm not a ghost…" Draco smirked wickedly and pulled a very familiar looking bit of lingerie from his pocket, dangling them from his fingertip. "We still have some unfinished business, I believe, Weasel…did you really think I was going to let it go that easily?"  
  
~***~  
  
Ginny felt shock, surprise, hurt and anger hit her all at once, and she was torn between throwing herself at his chest, and finding her wand to transfigure him into a horned toad.  
  
She stared at the scrap of lace dandling from his fingertip, and stood up shakily.  
  
"You bastard."  
  
He actually looked surprised as she took a step forward, reared back her fist – and punched him right in the eye.  
  
He hissed, grabbed his eye, and growled, "Since when did you become the violent sort?"  
  
"Since you didn't die, you rat!" Ginny cradled her aching hand and glared at him, tears sparkling in her eyes.  
  
Draco looked at her through his rapidly swelling eye with a glare of his own. "I'm sorry, I'd been led to believe that you actually missed me – excuse me for inconveniencing you and not dying!"  
  
Ginny watched him clench his teeth, and turn to walk away, and panic seized her. She flung herself against his back, pressing her cheek to his wet shirt with a sob.  
  
"Don't you dare leave me, Draco Malfoy! Don't you dare!"  
  
He sighed, and turned in her arms to look down at her, rolling his eyes. "Would you make up your bloody mind, woman?"  
  
"Just shut up and kiss me," she sniffed, shaking her head as she stared through the darkness into his eyes.  
  
"Only since you asked so nicely," he drawled with soft sarcasm, leaning down to touch his lips to hers…  
  
~***~  
  
"I can't believe Hermione planned this," Ginny murmured hours later as she lay on Draco's chest in her candle lit bedroom. "I can't believe she knew you were alive, and didn't tell me…"  
  
Draco ran his fingers through her hair, and she felt him take a deep breath.  
  
"She didn't…not until a few weeks ago. My father – he escaped after the battle in Diagon Alley, along with a few others…the ministry kept me in protective custody until they were found, because they thought my life would be threatened – it was a big, bloody awful mess."  
  
Ginny closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat beneath her ear. She knew she was dreaming, she knew she was going to wake up any minute and spend the day crying in bed because the dream had seemed so real…  
  
"So, I'm assuming they were found?"  
  
"Yes…they've been sent to Azkaban…to receive the Dementor's kiss."  
  
Ginny shivered and pressed herself against his chest. She found herself eyeing the shirtsleeve covering his arm, and he caught her.  
  
"It's gone, in case you're wondering…it disappeared when Voldemort was killed." Draco said flatly.  
  
She ran her hand over his arm and winced. "Was it horrible, receiving it?"  
  
Draco stiffened slightly, and his eyes grew haunted. "It wasn't enjoyable, Ginny…I'm not going to lie to you. I had to do things…terrible things…"  
  
Ginny pressed a kiss to his taut jaw and shook her head. "It's over. Forget it – forget them."  
  
He was quiet for a long moment, and he swallowed. "I love you, Ginny."  
  
The words came from out of the blue, and she blinked at him before she understood what he'd said.  
  
"I love you, too, Draco…" She smiled at him, kissing his lips and resting her head over his heart. "I'm sorry about the eye, by the way."  
  
"It's all right – I'll get revenge for it sooner or later."  
  
"Hey! Hermione fixed it – there isn't even a bruise!"  
  
"Doesn't matter – don't you know me by now?"  
  
Ginny grumbled, but relaxed when his hand swept soothingly down her back.  
  
He laughed suddenly, his chest rumbling under her cheek, and she raised her head with a questioning frown. "What?"  
  
He motioned to the picture she'd pinned to her wall. "Have you kept that up there this entire time?"  
  
"Yes," she said defensively. "Why?"  
  
He cocked a brow and looked back at the picture, which was now scowling down at him.  
  
"Nothing – I guess there's nothing wrong with wanting to wake up to a magnificent face like that every morning."  
  
Ginny pinched his side, and he grabbed her wrists with a grin, rolling her beneath him.  
  
"You know, your bed isn't terribly uncomfortable…I think we should stay in it for a while longer."  
  
"You mean, we should sleep – it's been a very tiring evening."  
  
"Sleep? Who the bloody hell said anything about sleep? I can sleep when I'm dead!"  
  
Ginny smiled up at him, and ran her hands through his hair, mussing it until it fell around his face softly.  
  
"You touched my hair…you're going to have to pay for that," he said nastily, narrowing his eyes.  
  
Ginny sighed. "All right, Malfoy…how many months this time? I have another year of school, you know – I can't be bothered with meeting you every night."  
  
"Well, obviously, three months isn't going to cut it this time," he said thoughtfully, looking down at her coolly. "There's no help for it – you'll just have to make it up after you graduate. How about we make an appointment for next June?"  
  
Her heart beat wildly, as she froze beneath him. "How long exactly did you have in mind, Malfoy?"  
  
"I think the next eighty years or so should cover it," he replied quietly, his expression challenging. "How about it, Weasley – feel up to it?"  
  
Ginny found herself crying again, and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Is the idea of marrying me that bad, Ginny?"  
  
"No, you stupid prat – I just can't seem to stop crying, is all. Of course I'll marry you."  
  
He lowered his head, touching her lips with his own, and she parted hers when he gently nudged them with his tongue.  
  
She lost herself willingly in the soft, long, slow kiss, and made a sound of protest when he pulled away.  
  
He smirked down at her, his hair falling into his pale eyes. "Well, Weasley, if that's how it's going to be between us, I guess I should return these to you."  
  
Ginny shook her head as he dropped the soft silver scrap of fabric in the middle of her chest. "You want to know a secret, Malfoy?"  
  
He groaned mockingly. "You have 'another' one?  
  
Ginny pulled his head down to whisper in his ear.  
  
"I really was thinking of your eyes when I bought those…"  
  
  
  
The End  
  
~***~  
  
(A/N: Phew! Finished at last! ::rubs cramping hands together gleefully:: I really hope you guys enjoyed this – it was just a totally unoriginal, flukey idea, and it turned into one of my favorite stories – who'd have thought? ^_^ Yes, I know this part is too long – sorry! It just kept going and going…Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, or at least, got a laugh…somewhere…::cough:: Reviews would be very welcome!!! Thanks everyone, who already reviewed – have I told you how much you rock? Later! ~Lee) 


	4. Epilogue

Disclaimer: It's not mine, I don't lay any claim to it , blah, blah, blah.  
  
Summary: Okay, if you liked the way it ended last chapter, don't bother reading this – it may be a bit too 'fluffy', or 'comical', or let's face it, it might just simply suck. In short, if you aren't interested, don't read it!  
  
Groveling thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter – I really, really, REALLY appreciate your input and opinions – I'm also very glad to see most of you seemed to enjoy it – just so you know, I've updated a few other things besides this, and ended The End Of The World – so check it out! Yes? Maybe? ^-^  
  
So…some of you guys wanted a sequel, some wanted an epilogue – so here's what happened the morning after Draco's return – you could call it an epilogue of sorts, but I suppose it's a bit long for that – anyway, hope you like. Guess I lied again when I said it was complete, huh? Heh Heh. Blame it on Draco, that stinking Slytherin…^_^  
  
Relax this IS the end.  
  
(And before you even ask, yes they did do the nasty – sorry if that's a bit shocking to some of you – but it fit. ::cough:: So fair warning, it's nothing graphic, just a hint, or whatever…)  
  
The Slytherin And The Slumber Party  
  
~ Epilogue ~  
  
Ginny opened one eye reluctantly as her bedroom door creaked on it's hinges – an infuriated roar filled her ears and she sat up in bed, her heart pounding in fear – and then she saw the back of her brother's head as he disappeared out of the room, his heavy footsteps racing down the hall. She winced as she heard him vault the railing and land hard on the landing below. There wasn't a lot of doubt about where he was heading.  
  
"What the hell was that?"  
  
Ginny's eyes widened as the blankets next to her shifted, and a pale blonde head poked out from beneath her sheets.  
  
She stared at the sleepy silver eyes looking lazily up at her from her pillow and felt a pure jolt of joy rush through her chest – and then she blushed as his eyes dropped to her bare chest.  
  
She yanked her sheet up to cover herself, and opened her mouth to warn him she'd just seen Ron, when her brother came dashing back in, breathing heavy, his cheeks and ears blood red.  
  
Ginny groaned when she saw him brandishing the ancient family broadsword that usually hung in her father's study like a fiery avenging angel.  
  
"I'm going to kill you, Malfoy!" Ron jabbed the sword at Draco, a murderous glint in his narrowed blue eyes.  
  
Ginny watched Draco's eyes widen almost comically as Ron furiously brought the sword down in the center of the bed, and it's sharp point barely missed a rather precious part of his anatomy.  
  
Draco found and yanked his jeans up over his hips and managed to tumble off the bed, hitting the floor hard. Ginny shrieked and pulled the covers over her head. "Ron! Get out of here! I don't have any clothes on!"  
  
Ron's face turned redder and he actually growled at Draco. "You bloody bastard! You touched my sister!"  
  
Draco's head popped up over the edge of Ginny's bed and he smirked smugly. "Touched her? Well, I think I did a hell of a lot more than just touching-  
  
"Draco, shut up!" The lump under the covers jerked towards him, just as Ron jumped across the bed and tackled him.  
  
Harry raced into the room half-asleep, his glasses askew. "What's wrong?"  
  
Ginny groaned under the covers. "Ron's trying to murder Draco, every man in the house seems intent on seeing me without my clothes, and I'm hiding under the sheets! Everything's wrong!"  
  
"Here!" Harry threw up the sheets, ignoring her shriek and stuffed some clothes from the floor under to her. Then he scrambled across the bed and did his best to keep Ron from skewering Malfoy with the family heirloom.  
  
Ginny tried her best to dress under the covers as she heard all the thudding and bumping next to her bed. She heard Draco hiss in pain and Ron swear and then she was finally covered decently and threw off the covers just as Draco rolled across it into her lap - she gasped and looked at him - his face was buried in her lap. He looked up at her, a grin spreading across his pale, handsome face. "This wasn't exactly how I meant to wake up, Ginny."  
  
He rolled off her as Harry shouted, "He got away! Malfoy I'd run if I were you!"  
  
Draco leaned down and kissed her hard. "Must dash, sweetheart - by the way, you look tasty in my shirt," He disappeared out of the window just as Ron stumbled over to it, Harry practically hanging from his back.  
  
Hermione raced in, half dressed, hair wild, and stood in the center of the room looking dazed. "What is it? What's wrong? Ron? Harry? You aren't supposed to be here!"  
  
"Obviously," muttered Harry as he collapsed onto Ginny's desk chair.  
  
"What the hell was going on here, last night?"  
  
Ron was still yelling at the top of his lungs.  
  
Ginny watched him rant and rail half - hanging out the window and she noticed Harry, flushed and tired staring at her in disbelief.  
  
"Did you -?" He stopped and nodded knowingly. "You did."  
  
Ginny blushed furiously.  
  
He half - smiled and got up, and went over to Ron, grabbing him by the shirt collar.  
  
"Hey!" Ron yelled as Harry dragged him out the door.  
  
Hermione grimaced at Ginny, planted a hand on Ron's chest, and helped push him out, closing the door behind her.  
  
Alone, Ginny took a deep breath and fell back on her bed, waiting for her heart to stop racing. She was stretching happily when she felt a warm stickiness on her hand. She looked at it in horror - blood. Ron had hurt Draco after all? Then she remembered his hiss of pain. Ron had dared touch her fiancé with that damned sword!  
  
"Ron!"  
  
She heard him yell from behind the door. "I don't care of you love him, I'm going to kill him Gin!"  
  
She cursed and went to the door, throwing it open. "You will not kill him! I'm marrying him!"  
  
Ron stood at the top of the stairs, and he almost fell down them. "You can't marry a Malfoy! Oh my god, you're bleeding!" He gaped at her, seeing the blood on her shirt and hand.  
  
"That is not my blood, you twit! It's Draco's! You cut him!"  
  
Ron sighed, looking relieved. "Thank God!"  
  
"Grrrrrrrr!" She slammed the door shut and stalked off to get dressed. She was worried about Draco. She had to go find him…  
  
  
  
~***~  
  
  
  
"Ron didn't know about any of this, I'm to understand." Ginny stated dryly as she prepared some lunch that afternoon.  
  
Hermione looked over at her sheepishly from where she was slicing tomatoes. "He knew Draco was alive…I didn't tell him he was coming here last night, though. I'm really sorry, Ginny – I had no idea he and Harry would decide to come back here and hang out over the weekend…"  
  
"It's not your fault, Hermione – I hadn't any idea Draco would still be here. He told me last night he'd have to leave early – he had a lot of things to take care of."  
  
"No kidding – I imagine he has a mess to straighten out with his father's estate. Are you sure he said he was all right?"  
  
"He sent an owl with a note that said he just got scratched – he figured I'd be worried. He's coming back tonight to smooth things over with Ron. He said he wasn't going to endure him chasing him about with 'that damned sword' every time he came near me." Ginny grinned and shook her head. "I sent him back a note saying he didn't have to worry about the sword – I hid it."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"The last place Ron would think to look – the laundry room."  
  
Hermione giggled. "Good idea."  
  
~***~  
  
When Draco showed up, Ginny kept an eye out for her brother – she wanted to be ready if he came out of nowhere with an lethally sharp objects – only to find he wasn't anywhere around.  
  
"Where'd Ron go?" Ginny asked Hermione with a curious frown.  
  
"I haven't seen him since after lunch," Hermione muttered carelessly in passing, angrily, and Ginny knew Ron and she had been arguing again.  
  
Draco shrugged. "He's probably off getting piss drunk – it's what I'd do in his position."  
  
"Ron doesn't drink anything stronger than butter beer," Ginny scoffed.  
  
Hours later, Harry and Ron appeared, and Ron was hanging on Harry's shoulder, his eyes glazed over.  
  
"Told you so," drawled Draco, crossing his arms.  
  
"Harry, I can't believe you let him do this!"  
  
Harry looked at her, smiled slightly, and promptly fell over, sprawling across the floor.  
  
Ginny fell to her knees next to him, and was worried until she heard the boy start snoring. Ron, who'd tumbled over with him, closed his eyes and made a sound between a laugh and a giggle.  
  
She shook her head in disgust and looked up at Draco expectantly, who frowned down at her.  
  
"What? I'm not carrying those prats up to bed…"  
  
~***~  
  
  
  
Draco looked at the wall, and then peeled off Ron's socks, and shoes, grimacing. He looked at Ginny and narrowed his eyes.  
  
"This evening hasn't turned out quite like I expected. I mean," he motioned to Ron, "I had been expecting to undress someone this evening, but certainly not Ron." He dropped Ron's leg and smirked at the redheaded boy as he rolled over and looked at them drunkenly.  
  
"Thanks, Malfoy," he muttered blearily, clearly still drunk, for he'd never thank Malfoy for anything if he were sober.  
  
Draco raised a brow, and made a face as Ron passed out.  
  
"I can't abide a man who can't hold his liquor."  
  
Ginny sighed in disgust at her brother's sorry state. "Mum would murder him if she could see him right now."  
  
"And your father would murder 'me' if he could see us right now, " murmured Draco as he caught her hand and pulled her out of the room.  
  
Hermione appeared in the doorway, pale faced. "Ginny, your parents are back – early!"  
  
"Bloody hell!" Draco rubbed a hand over his face. He looked at Ginny between his fingers. "I could disapparate right now, you know."  
  
Ginny grabbed him by his robe front. "Don't you dare!"  
  
"Relax, Gin – I didn't say I would, just that I could, if I wanted to...I wouldn't even think about leaving you to face your Dad alone," he said, although she knew he had been.  
  
"Don't worry – it's not my Dad you have to worry about," stated Ginny, propelling Draco out the door and down the hallway to the stairs.  
  
"It's not?"  
  
Ginny kissed him hard before pushing him in front of her, down the stairs. "Nope. It's my Mum."  
  
"Oh…she wouldn't happen to have a liking for sharp objects, would she?"  
  
She grinned, and whispered in his ear as her surprised looking parents came into sight.  
  
"Don't worry – I've hidden everything already."  
  
His hand reached back to grab hers, squeezing it tightly.  
  
"Now I can relax," he remarked dryly as Ginny's mother's face took on an astonished look at the sight of him…  
  
~***~  
  
(A/N: Bye! ^-^) 


End file.
